‘Frustrated’ Newcastle United star is making himself undroppable again, he was immense vs Arsenal

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Newcastle United did not deserve to beat Arsenal, but there were some strong performances in black and white.

Nick Pope was outstanding against Arsenal, which is why it felt so cruel to see him make an error in the buildup to Gabriel’s stoppage time winner.

Elsewhere, Malick Thiaw impressed as he continues to justify Newcastle’s decision to spend £34million on him.

However, the star of the show in black and white was Sven Botman.

• Who is Sven Botman? Get the lowdown on Newcastle United’s Dutch defensive dynamo

Sven Botman reaffirms his position at Newcastle United with incredible display against Arsenal

Heading into the game, there were question marks over whether the Dutchman would start. Eddie Howe had praised Botman ahead of Sunday’s match, but it still felt possible that he would be named as a substitute to accommodate Dan Burn’s return.

Instead, Howe managed to get both Botman and Burn into his team.

That proved to be the correct decision, with the Dutch centre-back putting in a commanding performance up against Arsenal’s mega money striker Viktor Gyokeres. Botman refused to be bullied by the Swede, who has scored three times since joining the Gunners.

He did not add to that tally on Sunday, with Botman shutting him out. The 25-year-old was absolutely immense, at a time when it has been claimed that Botman has been ‘frustrated’ by his position in the Toon pecking order.

The former Lille defender has had to bide his time since returning to fitness, but now appears to be undroppable. He is getting back to the level he was at during his first season on Tyneside, which will be hugely encouraging for Eddie Howe.

Sven Botman shaking off fitness concerns

Newcastle United have had to be careful with Botman. He is on the back of two serious knee injuries, and fans have been concerned that he might never get back to the level he was once at.

Those concerns suddenly appear to be misplaced, with Botman producing three excellent performances on the bounce.

This is actually Botman’s longest run in the starting XI since he played eight consecutive times in the 2023/24 season. That was in the middle of his two knee injuries, at a time when he was not quite at his best.

Botman is playing much better on this run in the side, and will hope to extend it. That will be up to Howe, who knows he needs to rotate his side and keep his Newcastle United squad fresh amid a gruelling schedule.

That will likely result in Botman getting a rest at some point, but he has firmly re-established his place in Newcastle United’s best XI in recent weeks.